KATHMANDU: Paddy plantation has reached only 32.38 percent nationwide despite the first week of July, well below the 45 percent recorded during the same period last year, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Of Nepal’s 1.37 million hectares of paddy fields, planting has been completed on 443,595 hectares. Sudurpashchim leads with 57.9 percent plantation, followed by Gandaki (41 percent) and Karnali (40.5 percent).

Madhesh, the country’s largest paddy-producing province, has recorded the slowest progress, with just 15.6 percent of plantation completed, while Lumbini and Bagmati also remain behind last year’s pace.